Abstract
BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that children's nonnutritive sucking habits may lead to delayed development of their oral anatomy and functioning. However, these findings were inconsistent. We investigated associations between use of bottles, pacifiers, and other sucking behaviors with speech disorders in children attending three preschools in Punta Arenas (Patagonia), Chile.MethodsInformation on infant feeding and sucking behaviors, age starting and stopping breast- and bottle-feeding, pacifier use, and other sucking behaviors, was collected from self-administered questionnaires completed by parents. Evaluation of speech problems was conducted at preschools with subsequent scoring by a licensed speech pathologist using age-normative standards.ResultsA total of 128 three- to five-year olds were assessed, 46% girls and 54% boys. Children were breastfed for an average of 25.2 (SD 9.6) months and used a bottle 24.4 (SD 15.2) months. Fifty-three children (41.7%) had or currently used a pacifier for an average of 11.4 (SD 17.3) months; 23 children (18.3%) were reported to have sucked their fingers. Delayed use of a bottle until after 9 months appeared to be protective for subsequent speech disorders. There was less than a one-third lower relative odds of subsequent speech disorders for children with a delayed use of a bottle compared to children without a delayed use of a bottle (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.10-0.98). A three-fold increase in relative odds of speech disorder was found for finger-sucking behavior (OR: 2.99, 95% CI: 1.10-8.00) and for use of a pacifier for 3 or more years (OR: 3.42, 95% CI: 1.08-10.81).ConclusionThe results suggest extended use of sucking outside of breastfeeding may have detrimental effects on speech development in young children.
Highlights
Previous studies have shown that children's nonnutritive sucking habits may lead to delayed development of their oral anatomy and functioning
Results of this study indicate that finger sucking behaviors and prolonged use of a pacifier for 3 years or more may be detrimental to optimal speech development in young children
There was less than a one-third lower relative odds of subsequent speech disorders for children with a delayed use of a bottle compared to children without a delayed use of a bottle (OR: 0.32, 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.10-0.98)
Summary
Previous studies have shown that children's nonnutritive sucking habits may lead to delayed development of their oral anatomy and functioning. We investigated associations between use of bottles, pacifiers, and other sucking behaviors with speech disorders in children attending three preschools in Punta Arenas (Patagonia), Chile. To identify potential risk factors for speech disorders in children, there is a need to better understand the association between early life feeding and sucking behaviors and subsequent speech development. Agurto et al studied 1,110 Chilean children between the ages of 3 to 6 years of age They reported bad oral habits were associated with development of dentomaxilar anomalies [2]. The results indicated that duration and intensity of sucking habits may adversely influence dental characteristics by reducing the transverse width of the maxillary arch [3]
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